THE CURSE OF THE JADE SCORPION



USA, 2001, 103 min, color

Woody Allen returns to the Manhattan of the past with this romantic comedy set in 40's -- the era of fedora hats and gumshoe detectives. Allen stars as C.W. Briggs, an insurance investigator who has just made a successful conclusion of a case on the recovery of a stolen Picasso. While he's a valued employee, Briggs is under fire from efficiency expert Betty Ann Fitzgerald for his antiquated attitudes and refusal to accept modern crime-solving techniques. Briggs claims he can put himself directly into the criminal mind. Maybe not always successfully…

"This film is a throwback to the era of Howard Hawks and Preston Sturges, where witty dialogue flew fast and furiously between characters. Such pictures as "His Girl Friday" (1940, dir. Howard Hawks) often depict battling male and female protagonists in tense situations. Here the archetypal roles are filled in by Allen and Helen Hunt."